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Public Affairs coverage from our award-winning staff |
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Chicago Inspector General Sues City Law Department
Produced by Sam Hudzik on Wednesday, November 04, 2009
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Photo by Mark Susina |
Chicago's Inspector General is suing the city's top lawyer to get documents related to the awarding of a city contract.
The Inspector General is investigating a contract that was awarded to a former city of Chicago employee. It was awarded, according to the lawsuit, "in apparent violation of the city's ethics and contracting rules." The IG requested documents related to that contract, some of which the city law department has refused to hand over. So the IG is going to court, represented by attorney Alex Polikoff.
POLIKOFF: Government lawyers have a higher duty to act in the public interest and not to frustrate an investigation of their client.
In an emailed statement, a spokeswoman for the law department says it has turned over many of the documents requested in the investigation. And says those it hasn't are protected under attorney-client privilege. She says if the city did turn over the documents, its lawyers could face professional "disciplinary action."
The IG's lawsuit dismisses that argument, and wants a judge to enforce its subpoena.
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